Question: Why does Google keep our search-record information?

[CoffeeCat]

This really sucks that a judge will force Google to turn over information they have on Google users and what they have searched.

The government says that they're attempting to keep kids from viewing pornography. I fail to see how viewing untold numbers of search records could--in ANY way--help that effort. There's no connection.

With that said---I'm wondering why Google stores all of this data? Why do they store and keep the keywords and searches that people are conducting? Why don't they just dump the information?

I took a communications-law class as an undergrad in the early 90's. The professor--an attorney and a journalist--discussed how law enforcement can subpoena your reporter notes/notebook. Because of this, she suggested destroying all notes/records.

I'm not saying that Google is doing anything wrong. I think they're putting up a good fight and I applaud them for standing up for privacy.

However--wouldn't it make sense for Google to make it impossible for our search records to be scruitizined by the government---by just not keeping and storing it?

[bpilgrim]

1. MARKETING == $$$

peace

[sproutster]

2. Oh that reminded me of a simple netizen protest

Push something like "George Bush buttsex barnyard animals" as the number one search. :)

(they used to keep them for running top searches and crap like that)

[acmejack]

3. The holy grail=predictive results based on your personal history

Prices based on what YOU are historically shown to be willing to pay for an item. Things like whatever it is you are searching for that you are known to like & might want to purchase instead, things similar to whatever you're looking for you might like to buy also, etc. The more data on you that is known, the better the accuracy of the computer model of your predicted behavior.

edit to make sense

[wakeme2008]

4. Gmail was set up to target you with ads from your

google searchs.

You sign on to gmail they have your internet address (not email addy).

You then search on google for Dog Food they have your internet address again...


Gee you just got two email from ppl selling Dog Food... How did they know you were interested. :grr:

[aden_nak]

5. It's part of what makes Google work, actually.

In addition to Googlebot (the spider that gathers the information for the search), Google takes a look at what you searched for, and what links you actually clicked on. It's a way to prevent Googlebombing. So, if a million people search for Tacos, and even though "Taco Bell" comes up as the number one hit, no one clicks on it, Google surmises that this link is not desirable. I don't know the exact way Googlebot ranks these things, but I do know that their seach and return records are important for them. That's one of the reasons they are better than Yahoo and Jeeves and so on (who use a much crappier bot called Slurp, incidentally).

[IsIt1984Yet]

6. As a data geek I can tell you there are LOTS of reasons.

Analysis of trends for markets to court for advertising space, and the data to back it up are primary.

Every mid-size or larger company does. It'd be silly not to gather data and learn from it and make your products better, more useful and an overall better experience.

[The Straight Story]

15. True, but they don't have to tie that data back to an individual system

They can break out the metrics by general location (city) and other such things without having to detail out information on a per system basis/ip/et al.

[welshTerrier2]

7. check out "Scroogle"

it supposedly blocks the collection of information from searches you make ...

here's the link: http://www.scroogle.org/

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

8. Analysis and Analytics... Like BP said.... $$$$

[CovertOP]

9. First

they came for the pornographers, but I was not a pornographer so I said nothing.
Then the came for the bloggers, but I was not a blogger so I said nothing.
So, we are all going to the camps anyway, so let's have some fun while we are here.
Google
NSA spying assholes, spy technology,EMP devices,VMAD,zero point energy devices,Sean Hannity Nazi propaganda writers, depleted uranium, 96 world renown dead microbiologists,MKultra,Conplan 0400,Operation Northwoods, how to make nitroglycerine,bombmaking 101,nuclear devices you can build in your kitchen,
You get the idea. Now go forth and Google.
And, seen those Google Earth pictures lately? Gees, if I was standing out in the yard when they took the picture I would have flipped the bird.
Those of you with large acreage might consider spelling out FUCK YOU NSA in bright lights. Maybe they will get the message.

[Xeric]

10. I use CustomizeGoogle

http://www.customizegoogle.com/
It's an extension for the Firefox browser that allows, among other things, to anonymize the google user id. Also blocks ads if you want. Recommended.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

11. In case they forget where something is..... they have records

pointing to where we found it... call it "backup".

[Boojatta]

12. Combinations of topics

The government says that they're attempting to keep kids from viewing pornography. I fail to see how viewing untold numbers of search records could--in ANY way--help that effort.

Suppose there is a search from some computer for the following: Sesame Street, dinosaurs, Battleship, Charlie Brown, and crayons. If the next request from that computer is for porn, then ...

[sproutster]

13. ... my 15 year old son probably got on. :P

Just kidding (I hope). I had a heart to heart with him, and also told him I was going to be doing spot checks - I wasn't kidding, and I was worried about what the government could potentially do.

I hope he was listening. I'm not so nieve (sp) that I don't know what he might have been up to (Victorias Secret Vixens being one of his "my space" links). But I have been open and discussing it with him. :) I also warned him he's under my roof and I do not need a warrant. But again, it's not a big secret and he knows what the rules are.

[shance]

14. So they can sell/give it to the Administration who will use it to deter

activists from making real progress by tracking, monnitoring, (infiltrating and sabatoging groups) in part due to the surveillence their internet activities and Googles selling of such information.

It's not about what we are doing wrong, its about what they are doing wrong, and in our name.